SARNIA – The stars came out on Friday night.
Forward Georgi Nedyalkov (Men’s Basketball) and guard/forward Breanna Pretty (Women’s Basketball) have been named the Lambton College Student-Athletes of the Week for the week of October 30 – November 5 for their efforts on the road this past week on the hardwood.
Despite coming off the bench for the Lions, Nedyalkov played a critical role in the Lions coming away victorious against the Niagara Lions on Friday night in Welland. In 32 minutes of action, Nedyalkov notched his first double-double of the season with 14 points (6-of-10 shooting) and 11 rebounds as the Lions came away with the 90-81 win to push their record to 3-1 on the season.
Due to an injury early in the second quarter, the third year forward was thrust into an expanded role on the fly, and he made the most of his opportunity. Down the stretch, Nedyalkov came through in crunch time to help solidify the win for his group. He scored seven of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field while playing all 10 minutes down the stretch.
For the year, Nedyalkov is averaging 7.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 70.6% from the field through four games.
Time and time again, Pretty has put together memorable performances for the Lions over her Lambton career. On Friday night, she had arguably her most memorable moment as a Lion to keep the group undefeated. Pretty finished off Friday night with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the 66-63 win for the Lions over the Niagara Knights.
Pretty, a fourth-year guard/forward from Sarnia, had never knocked off the Knights in Welland during the regular season in her first three seasons. Friday night posed another difficult challenge for Pretty and the Lions, but that also queued up some late-game theatrics for the veteran.
After a miss from the Knights with under 10 seconds remaining with score tied at 63-all, Emily Van Hooft grabbed a defensive rebound and got the ball to Legacie Blackbird with the Lions looking to come away with the win. She found Pretty at the midcourt line, who then took one dribble, spun past the Niagara defender, and put up a deep three for the win. The ball banked in off the backboard, sending the Lions into a frenzy and gave them the 66-63 victory.
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For the year, Pretty is averaging 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. She is shooting 51.1% from the field, 71.4% from three-point range, and 73.7% from the free throw line through four games this season.
Congratulations to both Georgi and Breanna on being named this week’s Lambton Student-Athletes of the Week!
This year’s Athlete of the Week awards are presented by the Lambton College Student Administrative Council.